


As the City Burns Around Us

by Mishirure



Series: The Essence of Humanity [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternative Perspective, Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Battle for Detroit (Detroit: Become Human), Detroit, Detroit: Become Human from a different perspective, Deviants (Detroit: Become Human), Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Forbidden Love, Interspecies Romance, Jericho (Detroit: Become Human), Love, Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Pre-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Pre-Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), Romance, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 12:44:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16555997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mishirure/pseuds/Mishirure
Summary: In the midst of Jericho’s revolution, two unlikely lovers from opposing sides fight to stay together amongst the chaos.-The story of Detroit: Become Human told from an outsider perspective.





	As the City Burns Around Us

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've written characters that are complete OC's of a larger story. I wanted to explore how the Jericho Revolution affected others, both human and android alike.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

**_May 28th, 2038 - 1:10 PM_  
**

“Where do you want these, sweetheart?” Roger huffed as he adjusted his hold on a box of painting supplies.

“Oh, that can go in the studio,” Mickey answered as she unwrapped some glassware in the kitchen. “It’s the smaller room!”

“You got it,” Roger grunted as he hauled the box and set it on the ground. “You sure this room is going to be big enough for your studio?”

“I’ll make it work,” Mickey called back with a chuckle. “Come get a drink, you’ve earned it.”

“Yes, please,” Roger said, eagerly heading towards the kitchen.

The apartment was small but cosy; it was an open concept kitchen, dining room and living room with two bedrooms; a larger master bedroom with a large and beautiful bathroom and a smaller bedroom that was currently being used to store paints and canvases. A large balcony overlooked the city of Detroit, right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city, separated by large windows that spanned the length of the wall of the dining room and living room, allowing plenty of natural light to come in. It was the perfect apartment for a single woman in her mid-twenties.

Roger got himself comfortable on a barstool, seating himself at the breakfast nook as Mickey poured him a glass of lemonade. It was a warm day, the first breezes of summer beginning to blow their way through the city. Mickey handed him the glass of lemonade with a smile, offering out her own so they could clink glasses in a toast.

“To my new place,” she said, tossing her curly red hair behind her shoulder. “And to the best Dad ever, who’s helping me follow my dreams.”

Roger chuckled as he clinked glasses with his daughter, brown eyes crinkling in the corners as he took a sip. “I hardly think I deserve a toast.”

“Hey, you did most of the heavy lifting,” Mickey said, leaning her elbows on the counter. “And I didn’t even need Mom to bug you to put your phone away. I’m impressed.”

“Yeah, well...” Roger said, scratching the back of his head and ruffling his trimmed greying hair. “I told the firm I was doing something very important; every dad should be there to help his baby girl get settled into her new place. Even if it is far away...”

“Oh, Dad, I’m only twenty minutes away!” Mickey said, exasperated. They'd had this conversation a million times. “I can drive up and visit you whenever I want. I’m going to be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas; nothing’s going to change.”

“Are you sure Detroit is where you want to be, honey?” Roger asked after a pause.

“Dad,” Mickey said evenly. “Detroit is an amazing city with amazing art history and one of the largest art industries west of New York. I’m going to be fine.”

“Okay,” Roger said slowly. “Well, your mother and I were talking about it, and we decided that—“

The buzzer rang then, cutting Roger off and Mickey frowned as she straightened herself upright. She hadn’t been expecting any visitors today; her friends were supposed to come over tomorrow to help her finish unpacking.

“Wonder who that is,” she said to herself. “Sorry, Dad, hold that thought.”

Mickey padded down the hallway in her bare feet, adjusting the hem of her yellow T-shirt before she pressed the touch screen for the buzzer that allowed her to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” a male voice on the other line answered. “Delivery for Michelle Marie Morris?”

“That’s me,” Mickey answered. “But I didn’t order anything.”

“Is this not apartment 315?” The man asked.

“It is.”

“That’s the address on my sheet.”

“Uh, okay,” Mickey said. “Come on up; 3rd floor on the elevator.”

She turned back to her dad who had followed her from the kitchen to the hallway and was leaning against the wall with his hands in his jean pockets. He had a bit of a knowing look on his face and Mickey’s green eyes narrowed in his direction, sensing that he knew more than he was letting on.

“What?” She asked.

“Nothing,” Roger said quickly, waving his hand.

Mickey crossed her arms over her chest. “You know something.”

“I... might know something,” Roger admitted with a smile as there was a knock at the door.

Mickey gave her father one last suspicious look before she turned to open the door and greet the delivery man who was flanked by two androids that were helping to carry a large, sturdy box that stood about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. She stopped at the sight of it, looking it up and down as the delivery man typed something down on his tablet.

“What is _that_?” Mickey asked before she could stop herself. The delivery man, a slightly portly gentleman in his early forties, looked up from his tablet at her.

“Special delivery from the Hart Plaza CyberLife store,” the man replied before he handed the tablet and a stylus to her. “Just sign here, please.”

“CyberLife?” She echoed, bewildered. Then she turned to her father who was still lurking in the hallway. “An android?”

“Your mother and I talked about it,” Roger said again, and Mickey suddenly realized what he’d been trying to say before the buzzer went off.

“Dad, you’re already paying my rent,” Mickey argued. She was eternally grateful that her parents had the funds to help her out with things like rent while she worked on her art, but this was above and beyond.

“We didn’t want you to be in here all by yourself,” Roger shrugged.

Before Mickey could protest, the delivery man said, “I don’t mean to rush you, but I have a lot of other deliveries to make. If you could just sign the form, please.”

“Right...” Mickey said absently, scribbling out her signature on the tablet. Once she handed the stylus back to him, the delivery man tipped his hat at her and she stepped aside as the two androids (both WD500 models) hauled the box into the apartment and set it down in her living room.

She watched as they worked to unpack the box for her, undoing the heavy duty clasps that kept it closed for transport and revealing the android nestled into the foam inside. As soon as the androids were done taking it out of the box so that it was left to stand freely in her apartment, Mickey stepped forward to take a closer look at it, noting the symmetrical, angular features of its face. It had a male form, neatly coiffed brown hair and a pair of striking grey-blue eyes that seemed to look directly into her soul, even if it was currently deactivated. It was dressed in a white CyberLife uniform, the panel along its shoulders a dark grey. The digital logo embedded into the right breast of the uniform revealed that this was an AP700 model, its serial number emblazoned just beneath that. As Mickey stared at the android’s face, she was suddenly aware of one of the WD500s handing her a tablet that had been nestled in the box next to the AP700 itself.

“Here is your user manual, Miss,” it said. “I’ve made sure everything you need is unboxed for you.”

“Uh,” Mickey said awkwardly, taking the tablet from the android as it turned to help its partner remove the heavy duty shipping box. “Thanks.”

She was left staring up at this android (that stood nearly a foot taller than her) as her father thanked the delivery man and saw him and the androids to the door. The tablet suddenly felt very heavy in her hands as the reality dawned on her:

There was an android in her apartment.

And it belonged to her.

“Well?” Roger asked, stepping up behind his daughter and resting an arm over her shoulders. “What do you think?”

“I…” Mickey started before she turned to her father as a thought struck her. “Isn’t the AP700 the latest model?”

“Yeah...” Roger said slowly.

“Dad, these are crazy expensive!” Mickey said. “Don’t you think this is a bit much? You didn’t need to get me one, and even if you did, an AX400 would have been sufficient.”

“Your mother did predict that you’d freak out over this,” Roger chuckled.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful, I am,” Mickey amended quickly, realizing that she probably sounded incredibly spoiled. “But it’s just... so much. You’re already doing a lot for me anyway.”

“Money is no issue for us, my dear,” Roger assured her. “And while that probably sounds very pompous, I’ll remind you that I’m a lawyer at a very successful law firm and your mother is a very sought after art curator. Our only daughter is moving into her first solo apartment away from us in a city that... admittedly has issues with crime. We figured the AP700 would be able to help you out around the house and make you feel safer; it’s full of the latest technologies, you know, and we added a security feature so that it will protect you if need be.”

“Don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic?” She asked flatly.

“I prefer to call it being prepared.”

Mickey glanced back at the android, which was still standing perfectly still in front of them, the LED on its temple slowly pulsing white as it waited for activation. She bit her lip a little uncertainly before she glanced back at her father and asked, “Is this really for me?”

Roger laughed out loud then. “Of course it is! Go on, boot it up! Maybe it’ll be able to help you unpack faster.”

She swiped her fingers across the tablet in her hand and the instructions for set up and use of the AP700 lit up on the screen. Mickey read through them, and once she was sure she knew what she was doing, she reached her hand up to push the button that was hidden under the synthetic skin at the base of the android’s skull. When she stepped back, the LED on its temple swirled from red to yellow to blue before it blinked a few times and moved its head and eyes to meet her gaze. It clasped its hands behind its back in a relaxed stance and gave her and Roger a warm smile.

 _Well_ , she thought. _CyberLife has certainly outdone themselves._

“Hello. I am a first generation AP700 android,” the android recited in a warm, pleasant tenor voice. “Would you like to give me a name?”

“Oh, I...” Mickey faltered, turning back to her father as she whispered, “I didn’t think that far ahead...”

Roger seemed to think for a moment before he leaned down and whispered a name suggestion in his daughter’s ear. Mickey mulled it over for a second before she gave her dad a nod and a grateful smile before she turned back to the android, stating its name. The LED at its temple flashed yellow as it registered the information before swirling back to blue and it gave Mickey a smile.

“My name is Damien,” it said. “How can I be of service?”


End file.
